This invention relates to a backsplash system, in general, and, more particulary, to a system for supporting kitchen utensils, cooking utensils, cookbooks, paper towels and other materials generally used in the kitchen, on the backsplash area behind a countertop.
In recent years, grater use has been made of the backsplash area located in the rear of a kitchen countertop and below the kitchen cabinets. Various fixtures, such as paper towel dispensers, have been built into the backsplash wall. Additionally, various fixtures have been secured to the backsplash wall for suspending cooking utensils, such as spoons, ladles, spatulas, etc.
In recent years, greater use of the backsplash wall has been made by the securement of a rail to the backsplash wall. The rail is tubular, and circular in cross-section. Various pieces of supporting hardware can then be suspended from the rail. The supporting hardware can include paper towel holders, shelves, spice racks, utensil holders and hooks, from which cooking utensils can be suspended. All of these items that are suspended from the rail have an upper loop which is semi-circular at its top, and which can be looped over the rail. The loops can then be slid along the rail to any desired position.
One of the shortcomings of this type of system is that the suspended hardware is freely rotatable around the loop, which results in the suspended items banging into the wall. Additionally, because of the free rotation of the suspended hardware, and especially the suspended hooks, positioning an item on the hardware or hook is difficult, in view of the free rotation. Thus, in view of the free-swinging hooks, a user may have to "fish" for the hook in order to hang a utensil.
One of the features of the backsplash system of this invention is that the rail support forming a part of the system has a square cross-section, with one of the corners of the square being uppermost. The loop used for suspending hooks or other kitchen hardware in this invention has a square mating configuration that matches the cross-section of the tube. Accordingly, when the hook is placed over the tube, it is positively associated to the tube at any desired location, while still being capable of sliding or repositioning. Since the suspended hook or hardware is not rotatable about the rail, there will be no marking of the backsplash area wall when a utensil is suspended from a hook or any other object is placed in any of the other suspended hardware. Additionally, having the positively positioned, suspended hooks permits the easy securement of kitchen utensils to the hooks, without the objectionable rotation of the hooks of the present systems.
Another feature of this invention is the provision of grill racks, which are suspended from the rail. Once the grill rack is in place, various other kitchen hardware can then be secured to the rack. This permits greater utilization of the full surface of the backsplash wall. Although various grill racks have been developed in the past, they were permanently secured to the backsplash area. Utilizing the grill racks of this invention, they are releasably secured to the rail, and can easily be moved or removed, without marring the surface of the backsplash wall.
In another aspect of this invention, a novel paper towel holder is provided, for suspension from one of the grill racks. The paper towel holder can easily be hung at any height on a grill rack, and can easily be repositioned. It is adapted to hold both standard and jumbo sized rolls of paper towels, and the rolls are freely rotatable about a supporting tube. There is also a tear bar for easily removing individual sheets from the roll of paper towels.
In the other backsplash systems in use prior to this invention, where a paper towel holder was provided, it consisted simply of a suspended basket, in which the roll of paper towels was placed. The roll could not rotate around a shaft, since none was provided, and there was no bar for tearing individual sheets from the roll.
Another feature of this invention is the provision of a rack adapted to serve the dual function of being a cookbook holder and a cooling rack for cooked foods. Although cookbook holders have been in use in other backsplash systems, they were of a structure wherein they could be used only for holding cookbooks. Thus, when suspended from the rail, the only position they could maintain was that of being angled vertically downward, to support a cookbook. There was no method of adjusting the rack to have it in a horizontal position, whereby it could serve as a cooling rack. When not in use, the rack of this invention is rotatable to a stored, vertical position, thereby avoiding encumbering any counter space.